Portable band-saw mill



July 5, 1932. G. E. CAMPBELL 1,866,395

PORTABLE BAND SAW MILL Filed April 14. 1931 4 Sheets-Shet 1 July 5, 1932. G E. CAMPBELL PORTABLE BAND SAW MILL Filed April 14, 1931 4 Sheets-sheaf.

July'5, 1932- G. E. CAMPBELL 1,366,395

PORTABLE BAND SAWMILL Filed April 14. 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 y 5, 1932- G. E. CAMPBELL 1,865,395

PORTABLE BAND SAW- MILL Filed April 14. 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented July 5, 1932;

snare:

GEORGE E. CAMPBELL, OF GHATTANOOG-A,

TENT TENNESSEE, ASSIGNQR TO THE WHELAND orica PORTABLE BAND-SAW MILL Application filed April 14,

I This invention relates to an improvement in portable bandsaw mills.

It has been heretofore very difficult 'to make a band saw mill portable for handling and for transportation from one place to another, as for instance on a truck. It is not desirable to dismantle the entire mill any more than is necessary on account of the loss of time in rcassembling the mill and in lining up the parts of the mill during such reassembling. Due to the height of the band mill it has heretofore been necessary to dismantle the top part of the mill in order to make the mill portable.

In this invention, I have arranged the top housing carrying the top band wheel in such a manner that the entire top assembly swings forward on a pivot which connects it with the base of the mill, thus permitting it to height of the mill and the center of gravity of the load, and reducing the tendency of the mill totip over. There is a pivotal support on each side of the top housing, forming a substantial connection thereof with the base to pivotally support the top housing and the top band wheel in a substantial manner, while yet permitting the mill to be quickly made ready for moving'or to be set up and aligned with little loss of time. There is-no lining up necessary because the pivotal supports alwaysmaintain the proper alignment of the top band wheel and its associate parts.

The base of the mill is supported upon skids, which extend a substantial distance beyond the mill and serve as supports for.

the top band wheel when tilted to its lowered position, thus making the entire mill easier to transport. Furthermore, these skids serve as supports for the track-way, and by extending under the latter they furnish means for maintaining alignment between the track-way and the mill.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the complete band mill;

Fig. 2 is a similar View with the top band wheel in reclining position;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the mill,

swing over to one side to greatly lower the 1931. Serial No. 530,086.

tom housings 6 suspended from the base 2.

and which shaft carries a lower band wheel. 7.. The band saw is shown at 8 and extends upwardlyfrom the lower band wheel 7 and about a top band'wheel 9, supported upon a shaftlOjournaled in yokes 11 on opposite sides of the top band wheel 9.

The band saw 8 may be driven in any suitable manner, for instance through a belt extending about a pulley 12 fixed on the shaft 5 for the lower band wheel 7, which belt may be driven from a suitable motor or engine in the usual'way.

The ,yokes 11 are supported upon rods 13 and 14. the upper ends of which extend into the yokes 11 and support the same, while the lower end of the rod 14 is wedge-shaped as at 15. and the lower end-of the rod13 is connected with. a section 16'hy means of a connecting nut 17 which is manipulated by a handle 18 as sh own particularly in Fig. 3. The lower end of the rod 13.is screw-threaded into one side of the nut- 17 and the upper end of the-section 16 is threadedinto the opposite side. the threads being right and left-handed so that when the nut 17 isturned by'the handle 18. the section 16 and the rod .13 will be moved in opposite directions so as to tilt the shaft for the upper band wheel 9 in order to maintain. proper alignment of the wheels and also to. facilitateithe application of the band saw thereto.

The lower end of the section 16 is wedgeshaped as shown at 19. .A cross-shaft 20 has notches 21 in the. upper side thereof to receive the wedge-shaped lower ends of the shaft 14 and section 16. This shaft 20 is supported on lower wedge-shaped pins 24, for

which purpose it has lower notches 23, in which are seated the wedge-shaped pins 24 supported upon a bracket 25 carried by arms 26 which are fixed to a shaft 27 journaled in bearings in top housings 28. A lever 29 is connected with an end of the shaft 27 and has its lower end bifurcated and straddling a threaded rod 3Q on which any abutment 31 is threaded to engage one side of the lever 29.

The rod is journaled in suitable-bearings hinge-pin 39, which extends therethrough and serves'to pivotally support each top housing 28 upon the base 2. p w

Studs 40,exte;nd upwardly from the base 2 in position to project through" slots 41 formed in opposite sides of each ,of the brackets 34 when the .top housings are". in. upright positions, in order to hold the same in such positions, nuts42 being screwed,ontothe studs for such purpose. g

Brackets 43 are fixed to the the top housings .28 and receive'bolts 44 which are connected with the base 20inv order to hold saidback edges in their proper aligned positions,-and securely seated on the base 2.

Tubular columns45 are fixed to the forward upper edges of the top; housings 28 and within which the yokes 11, are slidably,,r.eceived.- To the forward side of one. of the columns-45 is fixed a guide 46 slidably receiving a saddle 47, from the forward end of which an arm 48 is pivotally-suspended and carries a saw-guide 49. A supporting arm 50 extends upwardlylfrom the guide 46 and supports a sheave 51 about which a cables52 extends, one end of which cable'is fixedto the saddle 47 while the other end extendsover a sheave 53and-has tension weights, 54connected therewith, The ,sheave 53 ,is' ..suppo rted by anarm 55, which extendsupwardly and "outwardly from the rear ,side ofpfiejbf the top housings 28 and is braced by a suitable brace 56." a v V The cross-shaft 20 for the tension device has a lever 57 fixed thereto, as shown in Fig. 3, which lever extends upwardly and has a loke 58 connected therewith and from which a cablebg) extendsover andisfsecured too-a quadrant 60, which is fixed to a shaft 61 adapted .to be turned by ,a lever 62, frointl'ie outer endof which are suspended counterweights 63, as set forth in my prior Patent No. 1,567,911, of December 29,1925. 7 p

- When the mill in operation, the parts back edges of r will be in the positions shown in Fig. 1, where the band saw 8 is driven in the usual way, and tension is applied thereto by means of the cross-shaft 20 which acts through the rods 13 and 14, the cross-shaft 20 being turned by a turning of the hand-wheel 33, to swing the lever 29 laterally sufficiently to turn the shaft 27 andmove the bracket 25 sufliciently to impart a slight turning to the cross-shaft 20; which in turn raises or lowers the rods 13 and 14sufficiently to maintain tension-on theband saw; 1 i 111.;

hen it is desired to move the band mill from one place to another, the bolts 44 are removed and the nuts 42 are removed from the studs 4O," and after the removal of the the top band wheel 9 rests upon, a block-64 carried by the'skids 1 anda similai block 65 is used to support the saw guide '49. The

parts are then in a position for transporting to a different place, as fOLlDSiZELIlCOIl a truck or the like, andrby reason of the lowering of the structure'there is less likelihood'iof the mill tipping over aslthe center of gravity-is substantiallylowered, which faciltates the transportation of the-entire mill without completely-disassembling the parts.

After being moved toanew location, where it is desired, to setup the :millagain, it is only necessary toeswing theltop housings 28 to their upright positionsland :secure them by 1 the bolts 441and the nuts 42 on the studs and to apply the bandsawl and the counteroperation; i

.weights, after which the parts are ready for No aligning of the parts is required because the, alignment is maintained by reason of the pivotal supports for the/top housings I claim:

1. In a band mill, the combination of a base, one or more top housingsfor supporting an upper band wheel for the mill, means for pivotally connecting one side of each of the top housings to the base to permitswinging of the upper band wheel to a lowered position, and detachable fastenings. connected between the base and the oppositeside of each of the top, housings for-detachably=fastening thetop housings in upright positions to hold the same against swinging inovementlon the i pivotally connecting :the tophousings with the base and permitting swinging movement thereof and relative to the lower band wheel to lower the top band wheel to a reclining position relative to the base.

3. In a band mill, the combination of a base, a lower band wheel associated therewith, driving means for said band wheel, one or more upright top housings supported upon the base and extending upwardly therefrom, an upper band wheel carried by the top housings, a band saw extending about the band wheels, a bracket carried by each of the top housings, a bracket secured to the base and associated with the first-mentioned bracket, and a pivot pin extending through the brackets to connect the same together and permit swinging movement of the top housings relative to the base.

l In a band mill, the combination of a base, a lower band wheel associated therewith, driving means for said band'wheel, one or more top housings supported upon the base and extending upwardly therefrom, an upper band wheel carried by the top housings, a band saw extending about the band wheels, a bracket carried by each of the top housings, a bracket secured to the base and associated with the first-mentioned bracket, a pivot pin extending through the brackets to connect the same together and permit swinging movement of the top housings relative to the base, and bolts arranged between the base and the brackets carried by the top housings for detachably securing the top housings rigidly in upright positions on the base and against swinging movement.

5. In a band saw mill, the combination of beams, av base structure fixed to the beams and carrying a band-wheel, a top housing arranged above the base and carrying a top band-wheel, the beams being extended beyond the base and means for pivotally supporting the top housing on the base and constructed and arranged to permit swinging of the top housing relative to the lower band wheel to an approximately horizontal position with the top band-wheel resting on the beams beside the base. I

6. In a band saw mill, the combination of beams, a base structure fixed to the beams and carrying a band-wheel, a top housing arranged above the base and carrying a top band-wheel, the beams being extended beyond the base means for pivotally supporting the top housing onthe base and constructed and arranged to permit swinging of the top housing to an approximately horizontal position with the top band-wheel resting on the beams beside the base, and detachable means for normally securing the top housing in a rigid upright position and against swinging movement.

7. In a band saw mill, the combination of a base, a lower band-wheel associated therewith, driving means for said band-wheel, one

or more top housings supported by the base,

and extending upwardly therefrom, an upper band-wheel carried by the top housings, a band-saw for the band-wheels, a bracket carried by each. of the top housings, a brack- .et secured to the base and associated with the first-mentioned bracket, a pivot pin extending through the brackets to connect the same together for swinging movement of the top housings relative to. the base, and

bolts arranged between the base and top housing brackets for detachably securing the top housings rigidly in upright positions on thebase and against swinging movement.

8. In a band saw mill, the combination of a. base, one or more top housings extending upwardly from'the base,.a bracket carried by eachtop housing, a bracket secured to the base and associated with the first-mentioned bracket, a pivot pin extending through the brackets to connect the same together for swinging movement of the top housings relative to the base, and bolts arranged between the base and top housing bracketsfor against swinging movement.

9. In a band saw-m1ll,'the comblnation of a base, a top houslng extendlng upwardly from the base, aybracket having an up of the top housing, said bracket being bifurcated, a second bracket fixed to the top side of the base and-having an upstanding ear received within the bifurcated portion of the first-mentioned bracket, and a hinge-pin extending through the bifurcated portion and the ear for pivotally connecting the brackets together.

,10. In a band saw-mill, the combination of a base, a top housing extending upwardly from the base, means pivotally connecting the forward lower edge ofthe housing with ported upon the beams, a band wheel carried by the base, a second band'wheel supported upon the base and. adapted to receive a band saw which extends around the lower band wheel, the beams extending to positions beside the base in position to receive the second band-wheel supporting means for the upper band wheel and pivotally secured to the base, to permit swinging of the upper band wheel to a lowered position beside the base and intoa supported position upon the beams. H

y 12. In a band sawfmill, the combination of a plurality of beams arranged in-approximately parallel relation, a saw mill base supported upon the beams, a band wheel cardetachably securing the top housings rigidp9 ly in upright positions on' the base and right face fixed tothe forward bottom edge ried by) the b'ase; a' second hand wheel-sup:- ported upoirthe base and adapted'to zre ceive a band saw which-extends around the lower bandwh'eeLnthe be'am's extending to positions beside the base in'position to receive the second band-wheel supporting means for the-upper bandwheel and pivotally' securedto the ba'se',:to 'p.ermit swinging of the upper bandwheel'to aloweredposition beside theb'aseand into a supported position upon the beams, and a track for a saw millc'arriage extending transversely across andsupportdupon the beams, eaoh'of the beams extending throughout the width of the track andba'se. I

. 13. In a band saw-mill; the combination of a base, a lower bandwhee-l supported by the-base infixed position relative thereto, an upright support carried by the base, a top 2 bandwheelcarried by said upright support, and pivotal means connecting the upright support with the base for swinging movement'relative thereto to an approximately horizontal position.:'

' 3 14; In' a saw mill, the combination of a base,: bottom housings rigidly fixed to the base and carrying; a: lower bandl wheel, one ormore top housings for supporting portions of the machine-,means for rigidly holdi'ng the I 50 top housings in upright positions, and means for pivotally connecting said top housings with the base, said pivotal means being constructed and arranged to permit swinging of the top housings relative to the bottom housan i'ngs to an approximately horizontal position upon detachment of the holding means.

15. In a saw mill, the'combin'ation of a base, bottom housings rigidly fixed to the base, and carrying a lower band wheel, one or more top 7 housings for supportingportions of the machine, means for pivota-lly connecting said top ho'using's with the base to permit swinging of the top housings; relative to the bottom housings to an approximately horizontal position, and means for detachably securing the top housings in an upright position on the base to normally hold the same against swinging movement onthe pivotal means. H 16. In a band mill, the combination of a base, means for supporting a lower band i wheel in a position fixed relative to the base, one or more top housings for supporting an upper band wheel for the mill, detachable means connecting the base and the housings for normally holding said housings in upright positions, and means for pivotally connecting the top housings to the base to permit swinging of the upper band wheel relative to the lower band wheel to an approximately horizontal position upon detachment of the detachable connecting means.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature.

GEORGE E. CAMPBELL. 

